This invention relates to a novel clock apparatus, and more particularly, to an improved handless clock device providing continuous visual display of time of day indications from the positioning of ever-changing numbers of ball-like spheres maintained at rest upon pivotable stacked holder members.
The present invention is intended to provide clock means for use in indicating time of day (T.O.D.) in hours and minutes and simultaneously to delight and enrapture the observer by a relatively continuous visible movement of the ball-like spheres being loaded onto or unloaded from forwardly-mounted pivotable tiered holder members, hereinafter referred to as holders. The clock device comprises a plurality of interconnecting channel-like chutes or aisles serving as aisle means which means become aligned with pivoted or tilted holder members for receiving an unloaded train of spheres therefrom whereby the movement of spheres along the aisle means is at once both eyecatching and functional so as to permit a different combination of spheres to become repositioned on the holder members for indicating the next-attained current time of day. Some spheres of the unloaded train of spheres are retained to comprise the current time of day combination while other surplus spheres are returned to a preselected portion of said aisle means for storage of the spheres. A controlled movement pick-up member arm is provided to then remove an available one of such surplus spheres concurrently with the passage of each minute of time for redepositing the same into the visually displayed combination of spheres resting on the holder members for maintaining current time of day. The redeposit of such surplus spheres inevitably cause the overbalancing and unloading of the holders through the pivotable movement thereof. Current time of day is maintained through means of the changing of the displayed combination of spheres through the utilization of the predetermined load balancing capacities of each pivoted holder.
Clock devices comprise very popular consumer items and conventionally employ a variety of intricate and complex mechanical linkages and moving parts. Clock faces most often have movement hands to represent time of day when their angular positions are viewed against standard indicia of numerals. Clock devices use movement and sound such as depending pendulums and chimes to intrigue the viewer. Time of day references are given through use of alphanumerical and digital numeral displays. Very often, clock devices become popular consumer items just as well through the aesthetic configuration and visual aspects of the clock device as through the functional accuracy thereof in maintaining an exact indication of time of day. In such a crowded and well known field of invention, the present clock device provides means for measuring time in the form of a clock apparatus which indicates time of day without the utilization of angular referenced movement hands or a lighted digital display and without a large number of intricate mechanical parts and linkages, but with an unusual manner displaying current time of day indications, with a timing accuracy maintainable to the nearest minute, with contrasting openness and simplicity for permitting observation of the static position of stacked spheres followed by motion of the unloaded spheres which motion has the effect of immediately capturing the continued interest of the viewer. The present clock device provides a closed endless loop motion system wherein time of day can be continuously maintained without any resetting or reactivation of mechanical clock movement or recharging of power source and for which the recalibration function is done simply by adding or subtracting spheres at rest on the holder members.
In a preferred embodiment of the novel clock device, there is provided a sphere train clock apparatus comprising in combination a base member including vertically aligned support means thereon, a plurality of generally elongated holder members supported by said support means for pivoting movement about pivot axes selectively positioned along the intermediate lengths thereof, respectively, means for biasing any of said holder members into one pivoted position thereof, a plurality of spherical units, selected first ones thereof being contained on said holder members, the numbers of which spherical units indicate current time of day, loading means for loading selected second ones of said spherical units onto said holder members, predetermined ones of said selected second spherical units comprising means for counter biasing said holder members into opposite pivoted positions thereof, respectively, whereby said contained spherical units are unloaded therefrom, and means for collecting said unloaded spherical units for inclusion with said selected second spherical units for providing reloading thereof by said loading means.
More specifically, the clock apparatus of the present invention includes in combination a base member of generally rectangular configuration, a number of vertically aligned post members attached to and extending upwardly from the base member, vertically stacked generally elongated holder members supported on forwardly mounted ones of said post members for pivoting movements about their pivot axes selectively positioned traversely along the central intermediate lengths thereof, respectively, first biasing means for biasing the elongated holder members to remain in first extreme pivoted positions thereof, respectively, a plurality of spherical ball bearing means predetermined numbers of which are to be loaded onto said elongated holder members before being weight effective to overcome the bias of said first biasing means and causing pivoting movement of said overloaded holder members to second and opposite extreme pivoted positions thereof, respectively, whereby said loaded ball bearing means are unloaded in a continuous train of moving ball bearing means, vertically stacked chute assemblies supported on other post members for being aligned with the pivoted ones of said holder members, respectively, to receive said unloaded trains of moving ball bearing means, said chute assemblies being interconnected to channel said moving ball bearings to a selected one of said chute assemblies which comprises a storage chute assembly for surplus ball bearing means, timing reference means having an extended arm portion thereof being driven in a continuous circulating pattern for completion of one revolution each minute, said timing reference means effective during one revolution thereof to on-load a selected surplus ball bearing from the storage chute assembly and to off-load said selected ball bearing onto a predetermined one said holder members wherein said predetermined holder member is the topmost of the vertically stacked holder members, and selectible ones of said unloaded ball bearing means from said holder members, other than the lowermost of said holder members, being reserved during unloading thereof for loading onto an immediately lower one of said holder members whereby a new-current time of day indication is then provided from a representation of the collected numbers of ball bearing means being retained in the loaded position on all of said holder members.